The House Elections, Finance and Government Operations Committee convened for an organizational meeting where nonpartisan staff reviewed the committee's finance responsibilities for election programs and the broader government-operations portfolio.

House Fiscal Staff member Helen Roberts summarized election-related finance items the committee has handled in recent sessions, including a state match request tied to additional federal HAVA (Help America Vote Act) funds, the presidential primary reimbursement appropriation and the voting operations, technology and elections resources account (the “voter account”).

Roberts, a member of the nonpartisan House Fiscal Staff, told members, “I am not exactly sure what the jurisdiction of this committee is, so I'm basing this on what it has been in the past 2 years as far as the finance accounts go.” She said the Secretary of State's office has submitted a change-item request for state matching funds to access recently authorized federal HAVA dollars, and that the office has also requested funding tied to presidential-primary costs. Roberts also described a voter account now funded in the base at $3,000,000 per year to assist local governments with election-related expenses.

The briefing listed additional election-related figures and programs that fall within the committee's oversight as it has operated in prior sessions: roughly $3.6 million in biennial general-fund operations funding for the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, a statutory general-fund appropriation of $2.4 million that supports the public campaign subsidy program, and an open general-fund appropriation that supplements the public subsidy account based on taxpayer checkoffs.

House Research staff also addressed the committee's policy-side jurisdiction. Matt Gehring of House Research summarized the government-operations remit as traditionally covering matters such as administrative rulemaking, the creation or restructuring of agencies, boards and commissions, state contracting policy, state IT policy, and emergency management policy. He said the committee's scope can be shaped by the chair but noted historic referrals and topics members might expect to see.

Chelsea Griffin, legislative analyst with House Research, provided an overview of local government structures and authorities, including counts of local units (87 counties, 856 cities and 1,778 towns in the data she cited), the distinction between statutory cities and Home Rule Charter cities, and the state's reliance on Dillon's Rule with limited carve-outs such as home-rule charters and certain general-welfare authority. Griffin also reviewed the Minnesota Open Meeting Law (chapter 13D) and said complaints may be pursued through the Office of Administrative Hearings or in district court depending on circumstances.

Members asked clarifying questions about the HAVA match request—one member referenced a $200,000 match figure during questioning—and Roberts said she would follow up with precise timing and details for the committee. Roberts also noted she would research whether the Secretary of State’s request included specific proposed uses for matching funds tied to federal cybersecurity or “navigator” tools and report back to the full committee.

Chair Duane Quam emphasized that staff responses to member questions should be circulated to the whole committee so all members work from the same information. Quam said the committee expects to hear the Secretary of State at the next meeting, which staff announced will be held the following Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the same hearing room.

There were no formal motions or recorded votes during the orientation meeting. Much of the session was information-sharing and procedural discussion; staff and members agreed to follow up with additional details and documents requested during the briefing.

The committee adjourned after the orientation and set next steps for follow-up research on the HAVA match timing and the Secretary of State's forthcoming appearance.